Internal-combustion rotary engine



J. W. BIRDZELL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION F|LED.JAN.1I, 1916.

1,338,207. at ted pr. 27, 1920..

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A TTORNE Y.

J. W. BIRDZELL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1916.

1,338,207, Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

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section, of my invention.

JOHN w. emnzsnn, or ARKANSAS our, KANSAS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1920.

Application filed January 11, 1916. Serial No. 71,509.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN W. BmpznLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arkansas City, in the county of Cowley and State ofKansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Internal-Combustion Rotary Engines, of which the followingris a specification.

his invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines of the rotor type and has for its object to provide a device of this character which shall be simple, inexpensive, and efficient in construction and operation. p

The leading'feature of this invention consists in the fact that a high de ree of compression of the combustible flui is obtained and economy in the consumption of gas also provided, whil'e' initial startin means of novel construction is also provi ed.

With the above and other objects in v ew my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construct on disclosed in the drawings and specification and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawin wherein similar reference characters desi ate similar parts throughout the respectlve views,

Figure 1 is an end elevation, partly in Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view of the piston.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section of the top of the gas chest at the dotted line 44. o

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a part of the gas chest and the compressed air throttle valves.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the compressed air-throttle valve,

Fig. 7 is 'a' perspective view of the slide valve abutment, and

Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are respectively, crosssectionalviews of the'slide valve abutments taken on lines 8-8, 9-9, and 10-10 of fn the drawings which are merely illustrative of my invention F designates the bed-plate of the engine rame. he engine illustrated is of the tandem type, but as each en ine is identicall similar in construction, it is proposed to ilustrate but one engine.

14 designates the engine casing in which a rotor 15 revolves, the peripheral portion of which is connected with the hub by an integral series of cooling vanes 19 secured concentrically upon the shaft 10. The peripheral portion of the rotor revolubly fits the casirig 50 and is formed with annular groove U-shaped in cross-section, the annular packing rings 21 on the peripheral portionof the rotor snugly engaging the interior wall of the casing. A pair of removable flanges 18 are attached to the op posing sides of the rotor for the purpose of closing the explosion chamber of the rotor. The vanes 19 are disposed at a diagonal pitch upon the hub of the shaft 10, so as to set u air currents to cool the rotor. A piston I is secured upon the rotor and extends cross-wise of each groove R and also slid- -.ably engages the interior-wall of the casing.

Secured laterally of the rotor upon its peripheral portion is an outwardly extending lug V so positioned relatively to the piston A as to be in back of the lug, the arrangement being such'that as the rotor is making its cycle ofrevolution, the lug V will push gagainst the roller secured to the rocker arm which projects outside the casing 14 in the path of movement of the lug V, whereupon the arm W will be tripped and cause its inner angular portion 50 to operate the fits a passage slidable valve D which snugly secured u on 90 formed in a valve chest the upper portion of the rotor casing. his slidable valve is formed at its u er end with a fuel chamber K and a plug fits the outer end of this chamber securely so as to close the same, the plu also serving as a seat for one end of a coiled spring 24 positioned in the mentioned passage 90 in which the slide valve operates, the free end of the spring 24 engaging the point of thescrew 70 tapped into the upper end of the valve chest; the spring 24 holds the slidable valve D in projecting relation in the U-shapcd combustion chamber'R of the rotor in a manner to engage the periphery of the rotor 15, while the nose portion 50- of the rocker arm projects into a recess 80 formed in the slidable valve D. The piston A is positioned in advance .of the lug V just far enough to assure its free passage under said passage 90 when it comes in back of the slidable valve, and as the lug V is lifting rocker arm W and the arm 50 of the latter is lifting the sliding valve 0 out of the comnated 3 while the spring piston A, the exhausted air or fluid being gradually forced by piston A toward and ultimately out of the exhaust pipe 12, this pipe thereby becoming heated and serving to heat compressed air conducted into the compressed-air chamber Q of the valve chest by means of the intake pipe 20, equipped with a check valve Z such as'is shown in Fig. 6, the shank of the valve Z being desigsecured to said valve is designated 100. his valve is normally open to admit compressed air into the compression chamber Q except when the air in this chamber is being exhausted whereupon chamber Q is deprived of its fluid, because the valve Z is temporarily held closed owing to the suction from the engine. The

compressed air is adapted to flow into a" mixing chamber at right angles to the compression chamber but in line with the passage 90, but only when the slidable valve D permits. A pipe Y leads from the com pressed air chamber Q and connects with a pipe C which is equipped with a check valve Z as before explained, in its casing C and this pipe C discharges into the combustion zone of the rotor. The combustible fuel pipe I communicates with the fuel chamber K formed in-the valve D. When the slide valve is in position shown in Fig. 1 its port J, registering with chamber K is below fuel pipe I so no fuel can enter the valve until it is lifted far enough. There is a part P formed in the compressed air chamber Q'whichcommunicates with passage 90 and a similar port P is formed upon the inixing chamber E. Valve D is formed with two ports N and O at right angles with each other and adapted respectively when the valve 0 is lifted to connect ports P and P with passage 90in the valve at the same time that combustible fuel is being admitted into this passage 90... Formed upon valve D below and out of communication with passage 90 is an angular port S and I, adapted to communicate when the valve D is in projecting position, with a port Z formed at the lower end of the mixing chamber E, the port S registering also with the poi't T, formed in the valve chest and connecting with pipe G which, as before explained, communicates with the combustion zone of the rotor. 23 designates oil fcups for lubrieating the driyen shaft 10. The spark plug is designated U, and is located near the pipe C It is understood that the piston A may be equipped with a packing ring. The plug M, it will be noticed, is formed with a through port L communicating at its bottom with the fuel passage K formed in valve D. There is a space above the slide valve in which it is movable and in which air 'is compressed by the valve D as it moves up.-

, wardly.

cordingly utilized as a self-starter for the engine. By opening the valve Y, the compressed air is conducted out of chamber Q by wa of pipe Y and thencepasses through 5 into the combustion zone or grooves ipe l of the rotor, and begins to act expansively against the piston A of the rotor, thereby causing the rotor to be revolved and as it is about to complete one revolution the iston approaches in back of valve D, the u'g V engagesv and trips the rocker arm or lever W and the valve D is lifted out of the way of piston A, which passes under passage 90. As valve D is moving upwardly its port J registers with fuel inlet pipe I and fuel is admitted into the fuel chamber K of said valve, and as valve D is compressing air in passage as it moves u wardly, the compressed air thus generate flows freely back through the channel L into fuel chamber K and "creates pressure enough to cause the combustible fluid to pass out of ort N in valve D; as soon as ports N and register with ports P and P in'the mixing chamber E and said fluid is thus compressed in chamber Q. As the piston A has been ex haustin the fluid in back of it and as valve Y is still open a suction has been created by way of pipes (l and I in chamber Q and when the suction is broken after the exhaust has been discharged, compressed air flows in this chamber Q by way of check valve Z in pipe 20so when port 0 registers with port P com ressed air flows into the mixing chamber and mixes under considerable pressure with the fuel therein. When the lug passes the rocker arm,'spring 24 relaxes and valve D slides automatically back to projecting position upon the rotor.-

This will connect port S on valve D with both port Z at the bottom of the mixing chamber E and with port T leading to pipe C and hence the combustible mixture Wlll pass into the combustion zone of the rotor.-

It should be noted that by means of the conventional expedients the spark "plug U will memo? Numerous modifications may be resorted to in practice without departing'in principle from the details of construction herein disclosed. I

What I claim and desire patent protection on is 1. In an engine, in combination, a casing, a rotor revoluble therein, afuel mixing chamber, a compressed air chamber, a spring-pressed slide valve projecting into said casing, and engaging the periphery of said rotor, a piston on said rotor slidably eugaging the interior wall of said casing, means controlled by said valve for throwing said chambers open to intercommunication, and means controlled by said valve and adapted to conduct the fluid mixed into said rotor to act against said piston.

2. In an engine, in combination a casing, a rotor snugly revolving therein, and having an annular peripheral combustion chamber, a piston in said chamber moving under fluid impact, a compressed air chamber mounted at the upper end of said casing, a mixing chamber formed in advance and laterally of said compressed air chamber, each chamber having a port, a valve chamber arranged opposite the foregoing chamber, a valve sliding in said valve chamber and having ports adapted to connect the foregoing ports, means controlled by said rotor for controlling the operation of said valve, means controlled by said valve for connecting said mixing chamber with the combustion chamber.

3. In an engine, in combination, a casing,

a valve chest secured thereabove, a rotor revoluble in said casing, said valve chest hav ing a vertical passage, a mixing chamber arranged transversely of said passage and having a port registering therewith and a compressed-air chamber arranged longitudinally of said passage and having a port registering therewith, a slide valve snugly movable in said passage, and having ports adapted to connect the foregoing pprts, said mixing chamber having also an outlet port, said valve having a port adapted to register with said last-named port, and means controlled by said valve and adapted to connect the last-named port of said valve with said rotor 4:: In an engine, in combination, a casing, a rotor revoluble therein, a valve chest in said casing, having a central valve passage, a mixing chamber transversely of said passage and a compressed air chamber longitudinally of said passage, said casing having a fluid inlet channel adjacent the valve chest, a .pipe leading from said compressed air chamber to said channel, said valve chest having at its lower end a lateral channel, a pipe connecting said channel and said first pipe, a valve sl'idable in said passage and formed with a central gas receiving-chamber, with ports leading from said chamber to connect the mixing chamber with the com pressed-air chamber, and with a port below said chamber adapted to connect said mixing chamber with said channel, and means controlled by said rotor whereby said valve may connect either its first-named ports or last-named ports for communication as specified.

5. In a device as described, in combination, a casing, aflvalve chest therein having a valve passage communicating with said casing, a slide valve in said passage, having a gas chamber opening out of its top, a plug seated partially in said chamber and formed with a vertical duct registering with said chamber, a spring in said passage engaging said plug as a seat, said rotor having a peripheral groove, said spring causing said valve to project into said groove in engagement with said rotor, a fuel pipe communieating with said passage, said valve having a port communicating with its chamber, a mixing and a compressed air chamber, said valve having ports adapted to connect said last-named chamber, a piston in said groove of the rotor, and means controlled by said rotor for raising said valve out of the pathof said piston whereby the first port of said valve connects with the fuel pipe and the other ports with said chambers.

JOHN W. BIRDZELL.

Witnesses:

U. G. OHARLEs, J. N. HIATT. 

